Down where the red worms circle like sharks
A few snippets from last weekend to reinvigorate a slumbering blog.
29/04/07 – 4.18 P.M.
I’m not a fan of Sundays, particularly heavy, sticky, oppressive Sundays like this one. "Muggy", I believe, is the mot juste, and cranky is how such days tend to make me feel. Throw in the additional factor of sitting on a bus (as I am) somewhere between Ennis and Gort (the Galway town, not the all-powerful robot) and crankiness could soon give way to morose irritability.
Happily, this has turned out to be one of those Bus Éireann journeys one might almost describe as pleasant. The radio is tuned to something other than 2fm (and playing at a discrete volume), there have been surprisingly few people yelling into mobile phones, and (best of all) the seat beside me is free of the usual 'eccentric' type (picking his nose, scoffing Monster Munch, sucking on Capri Sun etc).
My ultimate destination is Galway. More precisely, it's Roisín Dubh, where the creepy-crawling, rustic (and rusty) melancholy of The Handsome Family awaits.
30/04/07 – 7.00 P.M. (½ way between Ennis and Limerick)
Well that was quite wonderful. Despite the fact that Roisín's has lost something of its (still considerable) charm due to renovations, it proved an ideal venue to see Brett and Rennie Sparks conjure their musical daimons. We sat tight & snug up against the stage wallowing in the warm, dark meatiness of the songs. It was captivating stuff.
While the music (particularly Brett’s voice) is deliciously rich, it's the freshness and originality of Rennie's words that transport the songs to scary, moving and magical places. The subject matter may (superficially) share some common ground with other acts casually labelled "alt-country", but the observations are sufficiently vibrant, incisive and (often) playfully absurd to make comparable lyricists seem a tad banal and hackneyed. Anyway, the cumulative effect is exhilarating and involving – particularly when the band is a mere four feet from where you're sitting.
One other advantage of this close proximity was that it allowed my pal Alan (thanks Al) to pinch the set list. Here it is ephemera fans:
I'll sign off now as I'm nearing the end of this journey's return leg. Not only that but I'm struggling to stay awake after a day spent clearing a field of rocks (on a friend's father's farm) and battling to noble defeat in a fiercely contested bout of doubles snooker.
It went to the black. We choked. These defeats (like the HF's songs) haunt me…
[tags]Handsome Family, Roisin Dubh, Galway, Snooker[/tags]
May 6, 2007
11 responses to Down where the red worms circle like sharks
Some years ago, I saw the Handsomes in the music centre and wrote this, over on the old Tuppenceworth site.
http://www.tuppenceworth.ie/Music/handsome.html
Unfortunately, I missed their last two trips to Ireland, but I saw them again in Whelan’s the other night, and was delighted to find them as charming, odd and beautiful as ever. I still think they’re one of the greatest bands in the world today, and get a sort of a romantic thrill at being one of the lucky few who happened to stumble upon them.
Great stuff F. Nice to read a description of the band that actually captures what they’re about rather than slipping into the usual music hack laziness. Slaps are reserved for anyone who uses expressions like “Gothic doomsmiths of twisted alt-country horror” as if they actually mean (or contribute) anything.
I feel dirty even typing that…
“One of the greatest bands in the world today”? I can’t but agree.
Ah Roisin’s is my old haunt – saw some wonderful gigs there – didn’t know they had done it up.
Yes. Opinion is divided on whether it adds to the place or detracts hugely. One of the friends I went to the gig with hates what they’ve done to it. I found the changes less damaging.
Not like Taylor’s next door which is now a lap-dancing club…
Taylor’s is now a lap-dancing club?
Is there any point at all in even considering a move back to Ireland? Seriously.
Foolhardy, do you have a flickr account?
foolhardy, That may (admittedly) be an extreme example of the Celtic feline raping the old ways, but it’s still telling. There’s a casino across the road too. Honestly.
Perhaps we should all just smile and go with the platitude, “Sure, you can’t stop progress!”
Copernicus,
i believe I do and I believe t’was your good self wot done set it up for me. I go by the name of fullardinho or some such.
My computer had the audacity to up and die on me lately though so, despite the new hard disc, I’m not fully up and running as I’ve lost some passwords and the will to live.
Fústar,
I’ll bide my time methinks. I suspect it would be wise to postpone moving home for a few years, just to make sure it’s completely safe (28 weeks later has reminded me of the hazards of haste).
Unless Enda Kenny is running the show that is. Then I’ll be home on the first plane.
Verdict on spiderman 3?
The best, and most accurate, review I’ve read:
Spiderman 3 – Entertainment value 0
It. Is. Gack.
That’s terribly disappointing. I’m a big fan of the first two as they represent far more honest, joyous, authentic depictions of the whole DC/Marvel universe (if such a thing can exist) than pretentious, boring shit like Batman Begins or Superman Returns.
Ah well, All good things…
I love The Handsome Family but missed the gig due to other commitments, bummer…. I did see them play the Roisin when they released Singing Bones and I hear they are going to be back soon…
I don’t like the new Roisin, it’s now one of the many super pubs in Galway….
Tip for ya. Citylink are running a service to Galway from Limerick, it’s not as regular as Bus Eireann but not many people are using it so a free seat beside you is guaranteed, for now, oh and it’s about 20 minutes quicker
Dave, I’ve seen those Citylink buses around but assumed, due to the Galway-Dublin blurbs on the side of the vehicles, that they were simply very lost! Thanks for the tip.
Oh and “other commitments” always suck.